


Matt and ARK's Holiday Special

by A_R_K, MatthewHowlerZPD



Series: The Custodians Verse [1]
Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:34:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28471722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_R_K/pseuds/A_R_K, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MatthewHowlerZPD/pseuds/MatthewHowlerZPD
Summary: Just a little one-shot threw together for the holidays, and experimentation with this universe and characters we've created
Series: The Custodians Verse [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2085489
Kudos: 1





	Matt and ARK's Holiday Special

Haruka Ongaku sat on the sofa in the teacher’s lounge at Innovations Academy, calmly sipping a cup of coffee. In front of her, the red panda had her laptop, upon which she was typing an elaborate scheme. She chuckled to herself as the words filled the screen. Suddenly, the door to the lounge swung open, and a familiar aardvark entered the room. Her face lit up upon seeing Haruka already there.

“Haruka! There you are! Come on, we need to get ready for the party,” Ellen Read cried excitedly to her best friend. Haruka had to hold back a laugh at her friend’s excitement, she knew that Ellen could get into her own little world sometimes. 

“Ichi-byō,* Ellen-San!” Haruka yelled, as she put the finishing touches on her plans. The second the last letter appeared on the screen, she closed the device and pushed it aside, but still held onto her coffee. She had planned the prank to end all pranks, topping even last year’s Christmas prank. Now all she had to do now was keep herself from giving it away.

Ellen for once seemed to notice something was up, as she narrowed her eyes. “Alright Ongaku, spill. You have a prank planned for tonight, don’t you?” She grinned.

“And what if I do Ellen-San?” she grinned back, she knew exactly where Ellen was heading with her question, but it was still fun to play along. After all, jokes were like music, food for the soul.

“Well then, I’m afraid it means I’ll have to turn you into the headmaster, pranks are frowned upon here you know.” Ellen struggled to keep a straight face.

Haruka didn’t even bother, letting out an amused snort at the idea. “Oh please, spare me and I’ll do anything you ask!” She laughed, if anyone else were to say that to the aardvark, she’d have turned into an unbearable pest, coming to her for advice on what the favor should be. But since Haruka was the one to say it…

“Hmm…” Ellen pretended to think, despite both of them already having done this charade several times this month alone. “Well I guess I’ll let you off with a warning, if you let me in on the prank!” She finally dropped the illusion as she slung an arm around her friend, who wore a matching grin.

Haruka sipped her coffee calmly before speaking up once more. “Kekkōdesu,** Ellen-san. That would ruin the surprise.” She looked around the room for a moment, before putting her drink down and reaching into her bag. “I have something for you by the way. It’s completely unrelated to my prank.” She said, digging around

Ellen nodded. “Are you sure it has nothing to do with your little plan?”

“Yep!” She said enthusiastically. Grabbing a hold of what she was looking for, she pulled it out. In her paws she grasped a box, wrapped in a red wrapping paper adorned with colorful Christmas trees and tied up neatly with a peppermint patterned bow. 

“Merry Christmas!” She exclaimed, holding the gift out. 

Ellen took the gift, glaring at it suspiciously before she smiled warmly. “Thanks Haruka, and”

“Merry Christmas!” cried Gyaltsen, as he energetically danced to Christmas songs broadcasted from the loudspeaker. The snow leopard wore a tacky Christmas sweater and a Santa hat, swishing his tail back and forth to the beat. The gymnasium was decked out with decorations like tinsel, evergreen, and paper snowflakes, and packed full of students. Nearby his friend Akihiko Hanten stood, grasping a cup of hot cocoa in his paw. He chuckled at his friend's antics.

“Gyaltsen you already said that twenty times already!” The leopard managed to get out between laughs. 

“Twenty? Really?” He stopped his dancing, as a serious look grew on his face. “That’s actually scary… usually I’m at fifty by now!” He beamed at his friend who rolled his eyes foundly. Some things, it seemed, would never change.

“Never change Gyaltsen, never change…” Akihiko took a sip of the hot cocoa he was holding, and found that it was too cold for his linking. Calmly, he put his other paw underneath the cup and produced a small flame, which flickered for a bit. Then he took another sip, and smiled upon finding it was nice and warm now.

“You’re getting better at that,” Gyaltsen commented as he started his dance again. He spun around and jumped a bit, until he caught sight of a familiar face. He gasped excitedly, “Akihiko I found him!” He leaped over to his friend, causing him to let out an undignified squawk. Some of his hot cocoa spilled slightly.

“Hey! Careful Gyaltsen, I don’t want to spill this on you!” Akihiko held the cup out of reach of the energetic snow leopard. “Who did you find? Kyle? I thought we agreed to give him some time with just his brother tonight.” He tilted his head in confusion, causing Gyaltsen to laugh.

“No not Kyle, Coach!” He excitedly pointed towards the African Wild Dog who they both owed so much to. Jason Atíthasos, their gym teacher and mentor, stood in a corner of the gym, chatting to another teacher. As soon as the two directed their gaze at Jason, the other teacher walked away, leading the former soldier alone. 

“You got it?” Akihiko said, gesturing over to his friend.

Gyaltsen enthusiastically nodded, pulling an envelope from his back pocket.

“Alright, then let’s go.” Akihiko took another sip of his cocoa to make sure the cup wouldn’t spill as the two walked up to the mammal they owed so much to. Jason turned upon noticing their approach, and couldn’t help but strike a smile.

“Hey there boys!” He exclaimed, his face lighting up as he saw two of his favorite students. “Enjoying the party I take?” He laughed as he took in the festive outfit on Gyaltsen and the cheerful expression on Akihiko.

“Yeah!” Gyaltsen exclaimed, his voice bubbling with excitement. This caused Jason’s grin to widen even further. 

“That’s good!” He mused, glad that his protégés were enjoying themselves. 

Gyaltsen nodded. Akihiko stood there for a moment, before speaking up.

“We have something for you, Coach.” The Amur leopard exclaimed. 

“Oh really? What is it?” 

Gyaltsen reached into his back pocket and pulled out a red envelope with “Coach” written on it in black ink. 

“Merry Christmas!” He yelled out, filled with joy.

“You’ve done so much for us, it’s only fair that your kindness be returned.” Akihiko said. 

Jason beamed with happiness when his gift was presented to him. He carefully inspected the gift. With these two, it could be anything from tickets to a movie, to keys to a new car that they somehow managed to get legally. At least an envelope means it’s not another glitter bomb, he thought idly as he tore at the paper, though their faces aren’t that reassuring… he held back a shiver at the matching grins of glee on his students’ faces. Carefully, he reached into the envelope. Upon feeling something flat, he grabbed it and pulled it out. In his paw he held a card. A scene of a roaring fireplace with stockings hanging over it and a brightly lit Christmas tree with presents underneath, with the text “May your days be merry and bright” in red lettering accompanying the image. Carefully, he opened up the card. On the inside rested a Lambazon gift card worth $50, accompanied by the message “And may all your Christmases be white.” Handwritten beneath the message was a “Merry Christmas!” and the signatures of the two mammals. Looking up at his students, both of them were smiling at him, awaiting a reaction.

“Oh come here you two!” He knelt down and opened his arms. Without hesitation, the two of them jumped into his waiting arms, knocking the air out of him.

“OOOMF!” Wally Kasi cried out as the wind was knocked from his lungs as strong arms wrapped around his back. The tension in his muscles relaxed slightly as he recognized the “attacker” to be his girlfriend, Jenny Nyanga, who seemed to think jumping on his back was the best way to greet him.

“Merry Christmas Wally!” She nuzzled into his neck, causing the cheetah to let out an involuntary purr. Jenny cooed at the sound, loving the noise her boyfriend made when happy. I really have to work on getting him to make it more, she thought to herself as she felt him relax, probably not even noticing how tense he was. One day, she’d get him to tell her what exactly caused that tension, but for now she was happy to just hold him in her arms.

The couple’s moment was interrupted by a pair of snickers, causing Jenny to hold in a groan as Wally visibly relaxed. Turning around, they were greeted with the sight of Wally’s brother and sister, both wearing the same homemade sweater that Wally had on and identical grins. 

“Quite the romantic, aren’t you Wally?” Abby Kasi said sarcastically, with a big grin on her face.

Wally looked at his sister with mock concern “Abby I’ve been dating Jenny for over five months, don’t tell me even your memory is that bad.” He finished with a smirk, causing Jenny to snort quietly, trying to be polite. Ron, of course, had no such qualms, and laughed hard and loud. Abby crossed her arms, trying hard not to smile.

The attempt did not go unnoticed however, as Ron’s eyes took on a predatory gleam as he pounced, “he got you Abbs and you know it!” He cackled, “for once the great Abigail Kasi has been beaten at her own game!” He then did one of those chirps that Jen swore had to be some kind of language, as Wally’s eyes lit up with excitement.

“Finally! It’s been almost twelve weeks since I’ve asked you guys for help!” Wally sighed with relief. Jenny tilted her head in confusion, causing Wally to laugh and place a kiss on her cheek, “wanna see your Christmas present now hon?” He smiled as the curious expression on the antelope’s face morphed into one of excitement.

“I take that as a yes,” Ron laughed as Jenny all but carried his brother to get her gift. Abby didn’t even bother to answer, too busy laughing at the look of shock on Wally’s face. “Come on Abbs, let's go see Jenny try to love our brother to death.” he said as guided the still laughing Abby over to the Christmas tree in the middle of the room.

“Merry Christmas Jenny.” Wally blushed as he handed her a small, brightly wrapped package. Holding back a squeal of joy, Jenny took her gift and eagerly opened it. She gasped as she revealed a small, beautifully crafted mechanical bird. The paint job made it look frighteningly real, so much that it was only the key sticking out of its back that let her know it’s true nature. Somehow they even made it feel real, like it was actually covered in feathers. Looking at Wally with tears of joy in her eyes, she slowly winded the key, causing it to produce a melody of chirps and cheeps, causing her eyes to water. 

“Oh Wally,” she whispered, “I”

“Love it!” Kyle Hopps exclaimed, as he held up the scarf that his girlfriend Claire Cottontail gave him. It was his favorite shade of green too, perfect for those cold nights in his garden. He resisted the urge to binky, instead leaning in to kiss her tenderly on the cheek. 

“Merry Christmas Kyle,” she said sweetly, using that same voice that always made his heart flutter. From across the booth, Kyle’s brother Cameron smiled. He was glad that his twin had found someone he loved. 

“You two are such a cute couple, do you know that.” He said, reaching out for his glass of water. Grabbing the cup, he took a sip. When waiting for food at a restaurant, he always found himself drinking a lot. Nearby, on the seat next to him, sat a metal puzzle box with an electronic lock, something he’d have to hack into. Knowing SH13LDMA1D3N, his mentor and the one who gave him the box, it’d prove to be a fun challenge. 

Kyle looked over at his brother, in the midst of a loving embrace with Claire. “Aww, thanks Cam.” Kyle said. Looking back at his girlfriend, he gazed lovingly into her eyes. “I wish I could spend this Christmas with you. Holidays at the Hopps household are always so hectic…” He trailed off. Cameron took another sip of water, before speaking up himself.

“You know, I’ve always wondered why we can’t spend our break with Judy. I’m sure her fox boyfriend wouldn’t mind if we slept on the spare bed in their living room.” He talked in an almost rambling tone.

“By ‘her fox boyfriend,’ you mean Nick, right?” Kyle stated, always preferring to use mammals’ real names when in conversation. “And you know how Mom and Dad are. If we showed up even a day late, they’d flip out. But I’m glad we have this night to ourselves. One last night out in the city, just us and Claire.” He smiled lovingly as he placed his paw on hers.

Cameron laughed as Claire’s ears turned red, a sure sign that the doe was flustered at Kyle’s display of affection. No matter how many times he saw that, it never failed to amuse him. He should start a compilation video of that sometime, editing together the video shouldn’t take that long, he’d just need to collect the footage. Maybe he could get Gyaltsen or Akihiko to help him, they always seemed up to new adventures. Suddenly, a straw wrapper hit him on the nose causing him to blink, “what?”

“Cameron I don’t know what you were planning, but our foods here.” Kyle lowered his straw as the waiter put their dishes on the table. Both brothers looked down at their plates. They had ordered the same thing: Rice, beans, bananas, and not a single carrot in sight. Claire had gotten a tasty stew of beans, filled with vegetables. Kyle then took a look out the nearby window. The Brazilian restaurant they were eating at was built into the side of a massive jungle tree, overlooking the Rainforest District below. The trunk of the tree was completely wrapped in Christmas lights, going up at least 50 feet to the establishment. Striking a grin on his face, Kyle raised his glass, and cleared his throat. “Alright everyone, I'd like to make a toast. To friendship, love, and not having to eat mountains of carrots at every stinking meal!” 

“Here here!” Cameron and Claire both cheered, clinking their glasses together with Kyle’s with glee. 

“And if I may add,” Claire spoke up before the other two could drink to the toast, “to time well spent with friends and”

“Family” Anastasia Oktotnik sighed with melancholy as she walked into the school’s courtyard. While working on the annual “what I plan to get better at in the next semester” assignment, she put down the normal things like math and time management. It was easier than explaining the real thing she wanted to improve, her relationship with her family members. So much had happened to them over the past year…

A light snow was falling from the sky, the tiny flakes that landed on her blending in with her white fur. After finishing her assignment, she quietly closed her laptop, and silently looked up at the sky. It felt so nice, knowing that at Innovations Academy she was seen as nothing more than a normal wolf, rather than the daughter of one of the most infamous crime lords in Tundra Town. Here, she was judged simply by the content of her character, rather than her father’s presence. 

Her thoughts then drifted to her father, boss of the Russian mob. At the back of her mind, she had always worried about him coming after her, snatching her from this new comfortable life and back into his clutches. These thoughts began to make their way back to the surface, the more she thought about them. He didn’t see her as a daughter, only a tool, a vessel to inflict his twisted desires upon. A cold sweat ran across her brow as frantically, she glanced around the courtyard. As far as she knew she was the only one left in the school, so now would be the perfect time for one of his goons to be sent after her. 

Suddenly, she felt her pocket vibrate, as a loud “ding” echoed across the empty opening. Pulling her cell phone from her pocket, she opened up the screen, finding a text from a familiar caribou. 

“Aput…” She whispered to herself silently, touching the parka he had given her. After a moment of silence, she read what the text wrote.

“Hey, so a blizzard back in Canada has grounded my flight for the next few days, meaning I’ll be spending Christmas here in Zootopia. Even though it’s a few days away still, Merry Christmas. If you want to hang out, let me know. I’ll be bunking with Aaron, so you can find me at his place.” 

Anastasia couldn’t help but strike a smile upon reading the message, knowing that such a close friend would be so nearby. Then, her phone began to ring. At the top of the screen, her brother’s name was shown. Quickly, she answered the call.  
“Hey, Dimitri” She said, calmly. 

“Hey there, sestra.” She heard the soothing sound of her older brother’s voice on the other end. “I’m outside of your school, so I can take you home when you’re ready.” He went silent for a moment, before speaking up once again. “Look, I just want to let you know that I’m so happy to be reunited with you and Mom again. When I was gone, not a day went by where I didn’t think of you two, and how you were doing. I’m… I’m sorry for walking out on you like that, but it was a difficult time for me and I didn’t know what to do. I’m just glad that I’m back now.” As he talked, Anastasia couldn’t help but tear up. She had missed her brother every day when he was gone, but now, this year, he had returned to them. 

“Thank you.” She said, silently, through her tears of joy.

She heard a chuckle coming from the other end of the phone. “You’re welcome. Now, Mom and Katherine are waiting for you back home. They have a special holiday surprise planned for you." Immediately after he said this, he hung up.

Anastasia couldn’t help but feel happy, with tears of joy streaming down her face. She picked up her laptop and got up, confidently striding her way to the nearest door. Calmly she swung the door open...

And let it close behind her. Ellen then reached into her bag, and pulled out the present Haruka had given to her earlier. Eyeing it suspiciously, she decided to throw caution to the wind and tear at the paper. Worst it could be was something that embarrassed her in front of the students after all. Opening the box, she was surprised at how simple the prank seemed to be, it was just a mug filled with glitter. 

“Really Haruka? I know I’ve ranted to you about how much I hate cleaning up glitter but a mug of it seems pretty tame by your standards.” 

“Oh, this isn’t the prank.” Ellen almost jumped back upon hearing the voice of Haruka, seemingly coming from inside the box. “The real deal is much bigger, so you better keep your eyes peeled.” Upon closer examination of the box, it looked like there was a radio on the inside, that Haruka was using to broadcast her message.

“Wait, if this isn’t the prank…” Ellen muttered to herself before her eyes widened with fear, “oh. Oh no” Almost immediately after her reaction, the sound of her two-month old, half-drunk karaoke recording filled the air in her apartment…

“No, that mug was just a decoy. Keep it though, it’s for you. Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!”

Ellen felt a weird mix of happiness and anger build up inside her, as the giggling of her friend filled the air. But then she struck a smile. For she had approximately 365 days to prepare her revenge...

*“One second” in Japanese  
**”No thank you” in Japanese 

Hey everyone! We had meant to put this out a week prior, but due to complications with writing, we, unfortunately, had to push it back. We considered pushing the setting to New Years originally, but it made no sense for a school to have a New Year's party, as break would already be in full swing by that time. But anyways, we hope you had a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year too! From, Matt and ARK.


End file.
